how starting a small business changed my life (& it can change yours too!) ✿ let's be vulnerable

Summary

In this inspiring video, the creator shares her journey of starting a handmade art shop four years ago, which transformed her life both financially and emotionally. She emphasizes the courage it took to start and the confidence gained from the experience. The video discusses the importance of taking calculated risks, maintaining discipline, and practicing self-love. The creator's story illustrates how a small business can lead to personal growth, optimism, and opportunities beyond imagination, ultimately improving one's quality of life.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker started a handmade Art Shop 4 years ago which led to significant personal growth and changes in their life perspective.
• 🌐 They utilized Universe, a drag-and-drop app, to create a website crucial for their business, showcasing its ease of use across devices and customization options.
• 💰 The speaker emphasizes the importance of taking risks and having courage to start a business, even if it means facing potential financial losses initially.
• 🌱 The growth of the business has been likened to planting a tree, starting small and growing over time, with the potential to provide for oneself and family.
• 🤝 The business has provided opportunities to connect with others and work with brands, demonstrating the power of social media for small businesses.
• 🚀 The speaker's confidence has grown significantly through the process of running their business, overcoming their introverted nature to become a better communicator.
• 🎯 The business journey has taught the speaker discipline and self-love, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and taking care of one's mental and physical health.
• 💡 The flexibility of being self-employed allows for a schedule that revolves around personal needs and the freedom to act on spontaneous ideas.
• 🌟 The speaker's optimism and abundant mindset have been enhanced through their entrepreneurial experience, leading to a more positive outlook on life.
• 🏆 The success of the small business has not only provided financial stability but also the ability to support the speaker's family, highlighting the personal fulfillment gained.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is the personal journey and transformation the speaker experienced after starting her handmade Art Shop four years ago.

What is Universe and how does it relate to the speaker's business?

Universe is a drag-and-drop app for creating websites. The speaker used Universe to create her new Linkin bio website, which is crucial for running her business.

What are some of the features offered by Universe for website creation?

Universe offers features such as personalized .com domains, the ability to hyper-customize sites, AI assistant named Gus, and the option to start from a blank canvas. It also includes e-commerce capabilities like selling creations and digital items.

How did the speaker's life change after starting her small business?

The speaker's life changed significantly in terms of finances, mental and emotional well-being, and her overall perspective on life, all for the better.

What was the speaker's initial motivation for starting her own business?

The speaker started her business as a way to pursue her passion and storytelling aspect of graphic design, and to escape the corporate life that she felt was not fulfilling.

How did the speaker's background and early life experiences shape her approach to her business?

The speaker's background of financial struggles and family instability instilled in her a fear that nothing lasts forever and a determination to be self-reliant, which influenced her decision to start her own business.

What advice does the speaker give for overcoming the fear of starting a new venture?

The speaker advises to tap into your inner child, be curious, have fun, and use the time when no one is watching to do whatever you want without fear of judgment.

How has the speaker's confidence grown as a result of running her small business?

The speaker's confidence grew as she learned to speak charismatically and improve her art-making skills, realizing that her work is valuable and connects with people, even if she's not the best technically.

What has the speaker's small business allowed her in terms of lifestyle and opportunities?

The speaker's small business has provided her with flexibility, the ability to work from home, and opportunities to speak at events, vend at festivals, and collaborate with brands, among other things.

What personal qualities or habits has running a small business helped the speaker develop?

Running a small business has helped the speaker develop discipline, self-love, and the ability to set boundaries while also valuing her own energy and well-being.

How does the speaker view the process of starting and growing a small business?

The speaker compares starting a small business to planting a tree, where it starts as a small seed and grows over time into something that can provide for you and your family.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Launching a Handmade Art Shop Journey

The speaker shares their personal growth since starting a handmade Art Shop four years ago, which has transformed them financially and emotionally. They introduce their sponsor, Universe, a website creation app that helped them build a professional online presence. The speaker reflects on their challenging upbringing, including financial struggles and a tumultuous family environment, which instilled a fear of instability and a sense of inadequacy. Despite these hardships, they worked multiple jobs and pursued graphic design, but the pandemic led them to reassess their life and realize their true passion lay outside the corporate world.

05:00

🌟 Embracing Courage and the Joy of Creation

The speaker discusses the importance of courage in starting and continuing a business, using their own experience of launching a brand called 'uncomfy'. They recount the excitement of their first sale, which亏尽管亏本却激发了他们继续前进的决心。The speaker emphasizes the value of taking risks and the joy of doing what you love without expecting immediate returns. They also share their increased risk tolerance and how they've learned to view opportunities for growth, even in a saturated market, as a chance to improve their quality of life. The speaker encourages others to take calculated risks and pursue their passions to find happiness and fulfillment.

10:01

💪 Building Confidence and an Abundant Mindset

The speaker describes how running a small business has boosted their confidence, especially as an introvert who had to learn to communicate effectively for their brand. They reflect on their journey from being self-conscious about their art to realizing that their work resonates with people, which has been more rewarding than technical skill. The speaker also talks about the positive changes in their life, such as being able to support themselves and their family financially, and how their business has led to unexpected opportunities, like speaking engagements and collaborations with brands. They highlight the flexibility and freedom that come with being self-employed and the importance of acting on ideas quickly.

15:03

🧘‍♀️ Discipline, Self-Love, and Longevity in Business

The speaker concludes by discussing the lessons in discipline and self-love they've learned from being a business owner. They emphasize the importance of setting boundaries and working hard while also taking care of one's mental and physical health. The speaker shares their personal self-care routine, which includes sleep, exercise, and yoga, and how it has improved their overall well-being. They stress the importance of longevity in business and the need to take care of oneself to sustain a successful career. The speaker wraps up by likening starting a small business to planting a tree, which grows over time to provide for oneself and one's family, and encourages viewers to be patient and persistent in their endeavors.

Keywords

💡Small Business

A small business refers to an independently owned and operated business organization which is not dominant in its field. In the video, the speaker discusses their journey of starting a handmade art shop four years ago, which has had a profound impact on their personal growth and financial stability. The small business serves as the central theme of the video, illustrating the transformative power of entrepreneurship.

💡Courage

Courage, in this context, is the ability to face fear, danger, or pain with bravery and determination. The speaker emphasizes the importance of courage in starting a new venture and continuing despite challenges. They share their personal experience of taking a leap of faith by starting their art shop, which required courage to step away from a traditional job and pursue their passion.

💡Confidence

Confidence is a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's skills, abilities, and previous experiences. The video's speaker discusses how running their small business has built their confidence, particularly in public speaking and self-promotion, which were areas they initially struggled with due to their introverted nature.

💡Optimism

Optimism is a perspective that emphasizes the positive or hopeful aspects of situations. The speaker mentions a shift in their mindset from pessimism to optimism, which they attribute to the success and growth of their small business. This change in mindset is portrayed as a key factor in their overall life improvement and happiness.

💡Risk

Risk, in the context of the video, refers to the potential for loss or injury, especially in the pursuit of a goal or a new venture. The speaker talks about their evolving tolerance for risk, moving from a place of fear and caution due to their family's financial struggles to embracing calculated risks that have led to personal and professional growth.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to follow a pattern of behavior or particular requirements. The speaker highlights the importance of self-discipline in managing their small business, especially in setting boundaries and working efficiently without external supervision. Discipline is portrayed as a crucial skill for maintaining productivity and achieving long-term success.

💡Self-Love

Self-love involves having a deep appreciation and respect for oneself. The video's speaker discusses the importance of self-love in their journey, emphasizing the need to take care of their physical and mental health to sustain their business and personal life. They mention exercising and getting enough sleep as part of their self-care routine, which is crucial for maintaining their energy and creativity.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. The speaker's handmade art shop is a direct result of their creativity, which they express through storytelling and brand building in graphic design. The video showcases how creativity can be a driving force behind entrepreneurship and personal fulfillment.

💡Financial Struggles

Financial struggles refer to difficulties in meeting financial obligations or maintaining a stable income. The speaker reflects on their childhood experiences with their family's financial struggles, which instilled in them a fear of instability and a strong desire to contribute to their family's financial well-being. This background shapes their motivation and perspective on the importance of financial independence.

💡Personal Growth

Personal growth is the process of improving and developing one's abilities, skills, and personality. The video's speaker shares their transformation from a person with low self-confidence and a pessimistic outlook to someone who is optimistic, confident, and successful. Their small business serves as a catalyst for this growth, illustrating the profound impact that pursuing one's passion can have on one's life.

Highlights

The speaker started a handmade Art Shop 4 years ago and has experienced significant personal growth since then.

The journey of running a small business has led to a complete change in perspective on life, both financially and emotionally.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of courage in starting a new venture and shares their personal experience with it.

Using Universe, a drag-and-drop app, the speaker created a website crucial for running their business.

The speaker's life was filled with dreams of being an actress, singer, or author, but faced financial struggles during adolescence.

A first job at the age of 15 marked the beginning of the speaker's journey towards financial independence and supporting their family.

The pandemic in 2020 provided an opportunity for reflection and realization that a corporate job was not fulfilling for the speaker.

The speaker's first business, Uncomfy, was started with courage and a leap of faith, despite initial financial losses.

The excitement of the first sale, despite losing money, fueled the speaker's determination to continue with their business.

The speaker suggests tapping into curiosity and having fun as a method to foster courage and perseverance.

The speaker's tolerance for risk has increased significantly after starting their own business.

Confidence gained from the small business has transformed the speaker from an introvert to a more outgoing individual.

The speaker's small business has provided them with financial stability, allowing them to support their family.

The business has led to a more optimistic and abundant mindset, a significant shift from the speaker's previous perspective.

The speaker has gained opportunities to work with brands and speak at events due to their small business.

Flexibility and the ability to work on one's own terms are highlighted as major benefits of owning a small business.

The speaker discusses the importance of discipline and self-love in maintaining a successful and sustainable business.

The journey of starting a small business is likened to planting a tree, which grows over time to provide for many.

Transcripts

hi friends so on this channel I talk a

lot about how I started my small

business but I don't really talk about

what happens after for example I started

my handmade Art Shop about 4 years ago

and I feel like I'm a completely

different person from who I was before

if you've watched any of my older videos

it's not hard to see how much my life

has changed not only financially but

mentally emotionally my whole

perspective on life has changed

completely for the better even after

just selling one a single thing and I

want to share this part of my journey

with you all because maybe after

watching this video you'll realize that

you can do it too but before we get to

the rest of the video I want to talk

briefly about our sponsor which is

Universe I used Universe to make my new

Linkin bio website is crucial for

running my business and I'm so happy

that it looks so much better now

universe is a drag androp app for

creating websites where you can easily

pick a personalize.com domain and Hyper

customize your site to match your

Creative Vision you can use it on your

iPhone your iPad or your computer you

can make any type of site with Universe

from a simple link list to a full

portfolio or online store and if you

don't want to use a template you can

also use their AI assistant named Gus or

you can simply just start from a blank

canvas which is what I did and if you're

in the US the universe cell block will

enable you to start selling your

creations and start making money in

minutes you can also use the download

block for digital items although the

sell and download blocks are us only the

PayPal block is available for everyone

universe is free but if you want to

remove the Universe branding from your

website you can upgrade to Universe Pro

this will also get you access to a

custom.com domain menu Styles and get

the ability to make discount codes you

also get a lower flat 5% transaction fee

and quicker payout so I'll have two

different links down below for you guys

the first one will get you 25% off your

first year of universe Pro or you can

use the second link to try Universe for

free thank you Universe for supporting

this Channel and now on to the

video growing up I was actually a really

happy child I had so many dreams I

wanted to be an actress or a singer or

an author but as I went through

adolescence things got really hard for

me my family began to really struggle

financially and this was also a point in

my life where I began to understand

really what that meant and as far back

as I can remember my parents were always

fighting always screaming I remember

they would always fight in Vietnamese

and even though I couldn't understand

most of it I would still stop everything

I was doing to just listen because I

felt like if I wasn't there something

bad would happen like even though I

couldn't understand a single word they

were saying in Vietnamese I couldn't

block it out it just felt very

emotionally unsafe and that somehow

everything was my fault if you've ever

experienced Financial struggles you know

how stressful it is it's a type of

stress that is so pervasive it's

generational and from a very young age I

was instilled with a fear that nothing

lasts forever and I'm embarrassed to

admit this myself but I also developed a

huge chip on my shoulder because I saw

what other kids had I saw what other

families were having and I was like why

don't I have that so by the time I

turned 15 I immediately got my first job

I worked at a berry Kebab stand at the

rocky stadium and very soon after I

started getting paid my paycheck started

going back to my family fast forward

four years later I'm 19 years old I'm

starting my first business and by then I

had already worked seven different

part-time jobs I was a full-time graphic

design student I already had experience

in the corporate design world I was on

my way to get a 9 to-5 job that is

exactly what my parents expected of me

and what I expected of myself I never

expected anything more but as you guys

know in 2020 the pandemic hit there was

a lot of time to just reflect and I

think deep down intrinsically I knew

that the corporate life was not for me I

hated the meetings I hated going on zoom

and it felt like I was wasting my life

away and I just knew myself as a person

that I can't commit myself to doing

something that I don't want to do I'm

that type of person who needs to be

passionate about her work thinking about

it now I really really commend my

younger self for realizing that so early

on it takes a lot of courage to start a

new business to try something new to put

yourself out there and that is the first

thing that I want to talk

about my whole life I never saw myself

as a courageous person as you can

imagine I grew up very averse to risk

because if I mess up who is going to

help my family I've always viewed myself

as rather pragmatic so that's why I

chose graphic design over Fine Arts but

as I was in my second year of graphic

design school and the excitement died

down I realized that this job is not for

me I'm not interested or passionate

enough about graphic design to want to

improve what I did like about graphic

design though was the storytelling

aspect of it the brand building part of

it so once I started realizing this I

took a leap of faith took all the skills

that I had as an amateur graphic

designer and made my brand uncomfy this

specific part of my journey the part

where I just simply started taught me so

much about having courage about having

faith about having excitement and pure

joy just simply doing what you want

without gaining anything in return I

sold my first thing for $12 and shipping

was $25 so I literally lost money on my

first sale but I was still so excited

that someone from across the world

wanted to own my art and that little

moment gave me the courage to be like

I'm going to stick with this thing I'm

going to take a leap of faith and I

remember after 2 months of running my

account I had like 500 followers on

Instagram and looking at that number I

thought to myself this could be big hi

friends so I'm editing this video right

now and I feel like my thoughts were a

little discombobulated so I just want to

add some extra food for thought when it

comes to courage it's like a two-prong

issue right it's like you need the

courage to start and then you also need

the courage to keep going even if you

feel like you're trying your hardest and

nothing is coming out of it I get those

types of messages a lot and what I want

to say is that the way you can like

trick yourself into being courageous is

to just tap into your inner child be

curious and have fun with every step of

the journey like if you're posting on

Instagram I wonder what will happen if I

start posting voiceovers instead of time

lapses I wonder what happen happen if I

share about this part that I think is

boring but maybe others will think it's

really interesting use this time period

where no one is watching you no one is

judging you to literally do whatever you

want like I started a brand new account

with zero followers I didn't follow

anyone I knew I wasn't worried about

real life people judging me one last

thing I'd like to note is that after a

couple years of doing this I realized

that my tolerance for taking risk is

much higher than it was before like one

huge example is that typically being

self-employed is a risk because you

don't get the benefits and you don't get

the support of like a big company but I

actually don't view being self-employed

as a risk like it's crazy how my mind

has changed cuz I've seen so many people

take jobs that they're not happy with

they go through life not happy and then

they end up being laid off anyway I've

also seen both sides where like a family

member takes a huge risk and it does not

pan out at all so I've seen both the

good and bad sides of taking risks and I

said this at the beginning of the video

I realized that nothing lasts forever

right so you might as well go through

life doing what you want and I think I

talk about that later on the in the

video I'm not saying to quit your job

I'm saying to take calculated risks to

improve your quality of life and if

starting a side hustle if working on

your passion will make you happier and

improve your quality of life I think you

should totally do it regardless of how

scared you

are so after having the courage to start

that courage and dedication eventually

led to confidence this is probably the

most valuable and most life-changing

thing that my small business has given

me if you watch any of my older videos

you can see how viscerally uncomfortable

I was how anxious I was how quiet and

introverted I was but having a small

business having to advertise for it

through my face through my voice through

video slowly and steadily through each

video I got better and better at talking

if you were naturally born a yapper I

really Envy you because for introverts

like me it takes so much energy to

actually talk to people like I don't

think you understand basically what I'm

trying to say is that I proved to myself

as an introvert that even though I

wasn't born with the ability to speak

charismatically I eventually just

developed the skills and that gives me

so much confidence because the fact that

I can say that I started from here and I

got to here that makes me really really

proud of myself I've also gained

confidence in other sectors of my life

as well such as in my art making I was

always artistic and creative but I was

was never like good I never thought I

would amount to anything amazing with my

art I couldn't draw the perfect portrait

or I couldn't draw super realistic

things and overall my mindset was that

so many people are better than me that's

still True to this day but now I realize

I don't have to be the best my small

business made me realize that even

though I'm not the best at what I do I

am still valuable people genuinely care

about my art and they connect with my

work I would take that amount of human

connection over technical skill any day

[Music]

with the courage and confidence that I

gained from my small business my whole

perspective on life inevitably changed

as well I find myself being much more of

an optimist rather than a pessimist now

which is crazy because I'm a Capricorn

having an abundant mindset is so so

important especially when you're

self-employed I'm still very much

pragmatic about my finances but I do

find myself being more how do I say this

delusional I truly feel in my heart that

everything will work out for me in the

end like I am so so lucky because of my

small business I'm able to meet all of

my needs I have an apartment I have a

little dog I have I'm going to cry um I

have more than enough for myself plus I

can still support my family I recently

fully funded my parents' trip back to

Vietnam for a full month I paid for my

dad's dental procedure that he's been

needing for years and years now and now

he's so happy that he can like eat all

the foods that he wants wants and talk

to people with confidence like that is

something that we take for granted is

our teeth um long story short I've been

able to do all of that because I started

my small business overall I'm just so

excited about life in a way that I've

never been before deep down I think I

still am a naturally anxious person like

I do have my bad days but I find that

more often than not I convert that

anxiousness into excitement and

abundance and I feel like that is the

big life hack ever like if you're

nervous about something just find a way

to be excited about it because when you

start your small business or your

content creation Journey there are going

to be so many opportunities just thrown

at you that you feel like you're not

ready for yet but what you can do is

take that nervousness and just like I'm

so sweaty and nervous instead say I have

all this energy in my veins I can do it

speaking of opportunities your small

business will inevitably get you

somewhere that you've never thought

you'd be just this past year alone I was

invited to speak at an artist panel for

my school then I was sponsored to have a

booth at dragonboat so I got to vend

like a huge booth for free basically

then I was sent to Austin Texas for an

influencer event because they saw my

small business account and thought that

I would be a great Ambassador for their

brand and just a week ago a huge company

sent a whole production team to my

apartment to film a commercial I had to

memorize lines and take the director's

instructions and it was like a full

circle moment for me because one of my

first dreams as a child was to become an

actress um that was just crazy and in

between all of that I've gotten to work

with such cool Brands Croc Fanta cricket

and it's all because I posted about my

small business on social media and it's

so wholesome because all the small

businesses that I started off with on

Instagram have grown tenfold with me

like Garbo from grumpy kid Studio she is

doing huge huge things now chazelle on

YouTube got to work with The Sims and

the miniverse like it's crazy to see how

much opportunity is out there even if

you feel like what you're doing is

saturated it's really not there is still

room for you to

grow starting my small business has also

given me the immense gift of flexibility

not only do I just get to work from home

but I have a schedule that revolves

around me it revolves around what I want

to do so I can be spontaneous if I'm

feeling sick or if I'm feeling tired I

can rest the same goes for the flip side

if I feel up to it I can work myself to

my very limit because I know that there

will be a reward at the end because I Am

My Own Boss I value my energy more than

anyone else in the world more than any

boss or any manager could ever value me

I value myself more and I think that's

one of my favorite parts of this whole

Arrangement is that I can do whatever I

want to do for example I recently made a

giant Maxine lamp wait let me grab her

for you I recently made this and I

thought of her one night while I was

brushing my teeth like oh what if I make

a giant Maxine oh what if I put a light

in it and the very next day I was able

to film this whole video and upload it

by the next day so that whole video only

took like 3 days to make because I was

able to just drop everything and make it

while most aspects of a small business

require a lot of planning and a lot of

waiting there are some things where you

can just be super super spontaneous with

it and I love that because the more

ideas that I can simply just act on

means more things that I make and put

out into the world that's like one of my

biggest goals is instead of just

thinking of ideas and letting them die

on the back burner I want to act on them

as quickly as I

can and the last two things I want to

talk about are discipline and self-love

I think I already touched on this a

little bit but being a business owner

really made me learn how to be

disciplined when you're working by

yourself there's no one to hold you

accountable except you so that can be a

really hard thing to cope with

especially if you don't get everything

done I found it really hard to be kind

to myself at first because I didn't

accomplish what I set out to do as this

kept happening over and over again like

not getting something done and being

really dejected and upset with myself I

realized that for my sanity this cannot

go on any longer I can't keep beating

myself up for something that is so

trivial as a video this learning curve

is what led me to be able to set

boundaries for for myself to have

discipline to work hard yet still take

care of myself and still love myself

more than anything else at the end of

the day I sleep at least 7 hours a night

I exercise daily I bought a hot yoga

membership like I am taking care of

myself better than I have ever before

and I learned to do that through my

small business because I love doing what

I do so much like I want to do it for as

long as I can and in order to have that

longevity I need to take care of myself

and I need to love myself okay I think I

went through everything I had on my list

thank you guys so much for watching this

video we appreciate you all so so much I

want to close off this video by

reiterating that all of these life

improvements didn't happen overnight it

happened over years and years of me

working hard on something that was

initially super super small I equate

starting a small business to planting a

tree almost it starts off as a super

small seed then it turns into a sapling

over the course of a couple years it

will eventually turn into a tree that

can feed you and your family for many

many years to come let me know what you

think down in the comments I'll see you

next

[Music]

week shoulder I was cleaning her

shoe when it clicked on the TR over in

the bright morning

de we brush and we braided Dandy lions